So you feel your have an invention idea that is useful to a specific group of consumers, easy to use and understand and something that consumers will be jamming the store aisles to purchase?
Great, then let's look at what it will take to get your invention idea from just a thought to a finished product.
Protecting your idea from unscrupulous individuals or companies is vital to the success of your product idea; and that protection comes through patenting. Yes, this can be a tedious process but successfully bringing your invention to market makes this a requirement. Here are 5 steps you'll need to follow, in order, to help navigate you to your goal.
1.Proof of ownership
- Anyone can claim to have come up with any product. So how do you prove that this great idea originated with you? Documentation. As soon as the lightbulb of inspiration goes off in your head, write it down. Include any and all information you come up with including any preliminary drawings of the product you may imagine. If you get further ideas, write and/or draw those, including the date you thought of them. Keep a running journal as you make changes to the product, making sure that everything is dated. The best way to record these musings is in an 'invention notebook'. You can do a search online for this type of journal to find the best type/price for your needs.
2.Research
- Remember the 3 things to consider from part 1 of this article? Meets a need, easy to use, and able to compete? You find out if your product answers these considerations affirmatively by doing market research. That's not the only research you'll need though. You'll want to do a preliminary patent and 'prior art' search to make sure someone hasn't already patented your idea. You can go to The United States Patent and Trademark Office to do your patent search.
3.Produce a prototype.
- In your inventor's notebook, draw what your invention should look like from all angles, don't forget the date. Once you've worked out the details on paper, create a 3 dimensional replica of your idea using whatever materials that are available. If your invention goes beyond the scope of your expertise, you may need to hire an engineer or designer to construct your prototype. You will probably need a designer anyway for the production of an actual working model of your idea. Since engineers and designers handle this type of creation process all the time, they may see bugs or problems in your design model that you didn't realize. Now is the time to get all of that corrected because once you have an actual, working prototype you're ready for step 4.
4. Filing a Patent
- You've documented your idea, researched the market and the patent office, built a prototype, NOW you can finally file that patent. If you item is a process or machine, you will want to file a utility patent. If it's a design, you'll want to file a design patent. Although the filing of a patent can be done by you, it's not recommended. It's best to have a professional patent lawyer, one registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to do all the patent paperwork to ensure that your product is protected to the best of the ability of the patent law.
- When choosing a patent lawyer, choose one who's specialty is in your type of product. Also, find out the total fees up front, you don't want to have any surprises when it comes to tallying the bill.
5. Finally, you can market your invention
- . Now the final important decision to make- will you distribute the invention yourself or will you license it out? It can be a tough question. Keep in mind though that if you decide to distribute the product yourself, you are now, in essence running the whole manufacturing and marketing business. This may be the route you prefer to take, the financial rewards ',may' be greater but so is the potential headache. With licensing your product to another company, you may only receive less than 10% in royalties but you won't have the added responsibility of running a manufacturing business.
For those who would like a chance to shorten their road to getting their product to market, you may consider entering these 2 women's inventors contests:
Other Helpful Resources
- United Inventor's Association (can evaluate your idea to determine it's potential marketability)
- National Society of Inventors (U.S.)
- International Federation of Inventors' Associations
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